March 29, 2025

1880: Mount Eden Railway Station

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

Today in New Zealand history, 29 March, 1880, the Mount Eden Railway Station opened on what was then called the Kaipara Railway. This and transformed the place. It used to be the outskirts which is why Mt Eden prison was put there. A huge ammunition factory was established in 1885. Mt Eden became highly populated […]

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March 29, 2025

2008: Harawene Immortalised

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

She was a little stray dog named Harawene very well known in her time. So much so that when she died in April 2008 the community put up a bronze statue. Fiona Cairns led the erection of a cairn topped with the statue (it’s ridiculous how often people’s names match what they do…) I stumbled […]

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March 28, 2025

1960: Toot and Whistle

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

Rotorua history: The Toot ‘n’ Whistle miniature train was built by John Smale, who started it in 1958. It was opened to the public to ride in 1960. In 2004 the operator had to abandon it because Kuirau Park was becoming dangerous due to geothermal activity. Government’s fault, as per usual. “Once the local council […]

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March 27, 2025

New Zealand English: A Conversation with Kelly Kahukiwa

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

The following was a useful conversation with a visitor to AHNZ named Kelly Kahukiwa. Our topic was Is New Zealand English Endangered? Of course there is a Kiwi accent that is part of our cultural heritage. Being a new country our traditions are young too but that is how all dialects and language forks must […]

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March 26, 2025

1874: Transit of Venus

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

On December 9, 1874 an American observation party of 6 was led by Professor C. H. Peters to Queenstown. Time to observe the Transit of Venus across the sun and take photos! The scientist were very, very, well received by the community but no scientists were among them. No “formal” scientific “partnership,” as recently claimed. […]

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March 25, 2025

1964: Washday at the Pa

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

A great New Zealand book burning took place from August 1964 by The State. Our Government, the National 2.0 Ministry was in fact recalling and destroying its own books! From May that year 38,000 copies of a picture book had gone to the government schools of the nation named Washday at the Pa by Ans […]

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March 24, 2025

1864: Monmouth Redoubt

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

The Monmouth Redoubt was built by the 43rd Monmouthshire Light Infantry Regiment who had arrived in Tauranga in January 1864. It provided a refuge for women and children who slept on the floor fully dressed during this time, emergency rations and a bottle of water within reach. This and other fortifications cut enemy supply to […]

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March 22, 2025

1902: Maori Parliament Shut Down

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

Today in history, 21 March, 1902, Te Kotahitanga, the Maori Parliament, shut shop forever. The Maori Parliament (1892 – 1902) had been an exercise of self-government by Maori ‘from the Bay of Islands to the Bluff.’ Essentially it was a great conference hosted at different locations over those 4 years. The idea was to agree […]

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March 21, 2025

Dunedin Council Link Down

By NZB3

Today’s Otago Daily Times suggests something that Dunedin City Council have hidden something they didn’t want us to see. So I want to see it! “A video link showing two Dunedin City Council committee meetings was taken down for two days because of “potential legal concerns”. Footage of last Wednesday’s meetings was pulled by the […]

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March 18, 2025

ZB on Ukraine

By NZB3

Early morning radio this morning had a bit of an interesting take on the Russia vs. Ukraine war in a way that stirred me to listen. Some of my best books or best ideas are the ones I hear rejected by others. When the orthodox view REALLY shows fear and resistance to something that’s the […]

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March 17, 2025

1000 Years of Te Reo?

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

There is an unattributed meme floating around about the Maori language (see image.) Specifically it says that “And people who complain about Te Reo Maori should remember that Te Reo has been spoken here for nearly a thousand years….maybe more.” Is it true? ‘Maybe more than nearly a thousand years’ is a long time. How […]

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March 16, 2025

1841: Breaking Up With Okiato

By Anarchist History of New Zealand

Today in New Zealand history, 13 March, 1841, William Hobson’s Gang relocated to Auckland. He came on a summers day bringing gifts from far away. The settlement of Okaito was a fine girl. “What a good wife you would be,” said Hobson. Ah, but his life and love and lady was Auckland from the very […]

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March 13, 2025